Trump Urges EU to Impose 100% Tariffs on India, China Over Russian Oil Buys

In a significant move aimed at tightening the economic screws on Moscow, US President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on India and China for their continued purchases of Russian oil. The request, reported by Reuters and confirmed by a US official and an EU diplomat, was made during a conference call with an EU delegation in Washington, signaling a push for a united transatlantic front to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The proposal was directly conveyed to EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan and other European officials. According to a US official, Washington is prepared to act immediately but only in concert with its European allies. “We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” the official stated, emphasizing the need for a joint strategy.

Trump himself bluntly outlined the plan to negotiators, stating, “The obvious approach here is, let’s all put on dramatic tariffs and keep the tariffs on until the Chinese agree to stop buying the oil. There really aren’t many other places that oil can go.”

Such a move would represent a dramatic departure from the EU’s current strategy, which has relied on direct sanctions against Russia rather than punitive tariffs on third countries. An EU diplomat confirmed that Washington had made its position clear: “They are basically saying: We’ll do this but you need to do it with us.” European capitals have reportedly been considering secondary sanctions on nations like India and China but remain hesitant given their extensive trade relationships.

Since Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India and China have emerged as the largest buyers of Russian crude, providing a critical financial lifeline to Moscow. Trump has repeatedly threatened action over these purchases and earlier this year raised duties on India by 25 percentage points, though he has stopped short of more severe measures.

In a seemingly contradictory move later on Tuesday, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone toward New Delhi, announcing on social media that trade talks were resuming and that he looked forward to speaking with his “very good friend,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.